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New Afghan T20 League to Start December 27; Three Teams Announced
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Aaj Tak
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New Afghan T20 League to Start December 27; Three Teams Announced

The launch of a new franchise T20 league is being prepared in Afghan cricket. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced that the Afghanistan Premier League will begin its first season in December 2025 and is actively approaching this moment.

The ACB officially announced the tournament's start on December 27. Furthermore, the names of three franchise teams and the trophy itself were presented. The three teams selected for the first season are Axcel United Kabul, Balkh Zwanan, and Kandahar Warriors.

Although official details regarding the tournament's execution and the full schedule have not yet been announced, it was previously indicated that the first season of the Afghanistan Premier League would take place not in Afghanistan, but in the UAE. The franchise and trophy presentation ceremony took place in Dubai on Tuesday.

The next important step will be player registration for the APL. The player registration portal will open on August 30, followed by a player draft on September 27, which will allow franchises to form their squads.

The Afghanistan Premier League trophy has been named 'Koh-e-Zafar,' which translates to 'Mountain of Victory.' ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf called this day historic for Afghan cricket. He emphasized that the presentation of the franchises and the trophy is not just the beginning of the tournament, but a reflection of the desire to inspire the next generation.

Initially, the ACB planned to hold the tournament with five teams, including teams from Kabul, Balkh, Kandahar, as well as Pact and Nangarhar. However, only three franchises have been announced so far. The ACB continues negotiations regarding the two remaining teams, and their names may be determined later.

This is not the first time the Afghanistan Cricket Board has launched the Afghanistan Premier League. In 2018, the ACB also launched a franchise T20 league under the same name. At that time, five teams participated in the tournament, and only one season was held. Famous international stars such as Chris Gayle, Brendan McCullum, and Shahid Afridi played in that league. Nevertheless, the tournament was closed due to disputes related to payments and questions about the league's reliability.

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ACB requested BCCI to change dates of T20 series between India and Afghanistan to September 14
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ACB requested BCCI to change dates of T20 series between India and Afghanistan to September 14

The schedule for the three-match T20 international series between India and Afghanistan, planned for September, may change. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a request to hold one of the matches on September 14, which is Ganesh Chaturthi day.

Currently, both boards have agreed on the dates for the series as September 13, 15, and 17. All three games are scheduled to take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. However, according to sources, the ACB insists on holding one of the matches specifically on September 14.

According to the original schedule, the matches were set for Sunday, September 13, Tuesday, September 15, and Thursday, September 17. The ACB aims to replace one of the games scheduled for September 13 or 15 with a match taking place on Monday, September 14. Typically, playing matches on a Monday raises concerns about a drop in viewership, but the ACB hopes that thanks to the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and the festive atmosphere, the Monday match can also attract fans.

If the BCCI agrees to this proposal, the series schedule will change, and the match between India and Afghanistan will gain a special cultural flavor on Ganesh Chaturthi day.

Negotiations are also underway regarding the broadcasting rights for the series. ACB has begun discussions with major television broadcasters. According to sources, talks are ongoing with Sony Sports and Star Sports. It is expected that all three T20 matches will be available for digital streaming on FanCode. However, the situation regarding television broadcasting remains unclear.

ITW Universe is responsible for media rights and on-field branding during this series.

It is worth noting that these three matches will count as Afghanistan's home series under the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), but the games themselves will be held in India. Afghanistan has hosted its home international matches in India in recent years. Nevertheless, this will be the first time Afghanistan holds its 'home' series against India on Indian soil.

These three matches are also of great importance for both teams in preparation for the upcoming Asian Games.

Following the confirmation of the T20 series between India and Afghanistan in September, India's tour of Bangladesh is effectively frozen. This means that the trip to Bangladesh by India is likely not to happen. Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a schedule including three ODIs and three T20s against India from September 1 to 6 and September 9 to 13, respectively. However, given the current relations between the two countries, government approval was required for this visit.

Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haque had previously stated that the government was trying to overcome disagreements between the parties and hoped for a quick resolution. But now, after the confirmation of the India-Afghanistan T20 series schedule for September, the probability of an Indian visit to Bangladesh looks extremely low.

Thus, the next major T20 event for the Indian team in September may take place not in Bangladesh, but in Delhi as part of the three-match series against Afghanistan, and if ACB's request is accommodated, one of these matches will be held on Ganesh Chaturthi day.

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